Janette Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 69088700
DNR records show 4 stocking entries at Janette Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2024 (3,871 fish).
- Janette Lake has 4 DNR stocking records across 4 years (2016-2024): walleye (4).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 13,881 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 23 ft; surface area 133 acres, 119 littoral acres, 2.8 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 4.8 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- St. Louis County, nearest town Goodland; DNR lake number (DOW) 69088700.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 3,871 | 121.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 3,798 | 118.7 |
| 2018 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 2,975 | 119.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 3,237 | 119.0 |
2 fish purchased by the DNR for stocking.
Field note · Minnesota stocks by year, not by truck day: walleye fry go in within weeks of ice-out, fingerlings and yearlings mostly in fall, and stream trout in spring and fall. A row here means the fish went in during that year; DNR adds the year's rows after the fact, so the current year can look empty until winter.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| earthen ramp | Minnesota DNR | |
| CA | county | - Southwest corner; undeveloped road right of way. |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 6.67 | 40 | 1.53 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 5.33 | 32 | 0.16 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 3.33 | 20 | 0.15 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 1.33 | 8 | 2.32 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.67 | 4 | 0.23 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 3 | 0.30 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 3 | 0.42 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 2 | 1.12 |
Catch per net (CPUE) is the DNR survey's count per gill net or trap net set; higher means more of that species were sampled, not a fishing forecast. Top species per gear shown; where we have no verified common name for a DNR code, the code itself is shown.
Janette Lake is a shallow lake located nine miles northeast of Goodland, MN. It has soft, moderately fertile water with poor clarity because of the bog stain. The 2020 lake management plan (LMP) listed Black Crappie and Bluegill as a primary management species, with Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike and Walleye as a secondary management species. The goal was to maintain a Walleye catch above 2.0 fish/gill net through stocking. A targeted survey using 6 gill nets was conducted in August 2024 to evaluate Walleye management. Black Crappie catches have been moderate in most surveys including 2024. The catch of 5.3/gill net was the third highest since 1960. Sampled crappie ranged from 4.8 to 9.5 inches and averaged 6.5 inches. Quality Black Crappie angling opportunities exist when strong year-classes reach a size anglers desire. The Bluegill population can be characterized as having low numbers of moderate sized fish. Gill nets are not the primary sampling gear for monitoring Bluegill populations but can provide useful size information. Twenty Bluegill were sampled that ranged from 3.9 to 9.2 inches and averaged 5.4 inches. Janette Lake likely provides decent Bluegill fishing opportunities at times. Largemouth Bass are most effectively sampled by spring electrofishing. A 2013 electrofishing sample suggested bass may be common but of poor size. Only one bass was sampled in the gill nets in 2024. Northern Pike catches have often been higher in Janette Lake compared to other lakes with similar habitat. Pike were sampled at a rate of 6.7/gill net in 2024. Northern Pike ranged from 14.7 to 27.4 inches and averaged 19.3 inches. Few fish over 28 inches have ever been sampled. Janette Lake is known for having higher numbers of smaller pike and these population attributes are not desirable because they result in slow growth. Anglers and spearers are encouraged to keep fish under 22 inches and not harvest fish over 26 inches to improve size structure. Janette Lake does not have habitat normally associated with quality Walleye populations. The Walleye fishery was created by stocking and consistently has lower catches than similar lakes. The catch of 1.3/gill net failed to meet the management goal of 2.0/gill net. The 2024 survey evaluated a period of every other year fingerling stocking (1 pound/littoral acre), except for 2020 due to COVID. The sampled fish ranged from 17.5 to 21.7 inches and averaged 18.8 inches. Of the four fish aged, three were 8 years old and one was 14. Sample sizes were too low to evaluate growth. Recent survey data suggests Walleye are poorly…
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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Stocking rows, depths, accesses and survey figures are Minnesota DNR LakeFinder data as of 2026-09-02. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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